Fair warning: This post has spoilers through A Dance with Dragons and Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 1, 'Winter Is Here'.

Fan theories, amiright? What a bunch of bull. Except... not so much these days. If Westworld proved one thing for certain, it's that the combined power nerd power of the internet can crack any case. And Game of Thrones has a pretty incredible track record of well-guessed fan theories, and those fans have been theorizing about for George R.R. Martin's addictive fantasy epic for decades now.

Even before the HBO series became a titanic cultural phenomenon, fans were dissecting the text of the novels, including all the prophetic dreams, visions, rumors, and inner-monologues the show can't quite capture. Now, we all know that the series has long-passed the books at this point, but we also know that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have been working, at least in broad strokes, from Martin's endgame playbook (Hodor!). Point being, while the show and books ultimately probably won't line up 100% (assuming the books ever actually get finished), the mythology and character work in the novels is still relevant to pull from.

And again, there's an impressive precedent for Thrones fans getting their theories right: Jon Snow? Not Dead. The Hound? Not dead. Benjen? Coldhands. R + L = J? Yeah, you bet it does. Martin has laid down plenty of clues for fans, and he's left us a whole lot of time to digest them. Of course, that's not to say we see it all coming. Martin is also the guy who brought us "Hold the Door" and anybody who says they saw that coming is either a liar or that one guy on Reddit.

With that in mind, we've put together a list of the theories that still have a shot to come true before Game of Thrones comes to a close. Be aware, these are book-informed theories, which means there are book spoilers obviously, but also a lot more clues and details than what you've got to work from if you just watch the show. Since the show has moved off of the books they are not spoilers exactly, but if last season is any indication, at least some of these book-based theories are going to come true. So if you want to go in completely blind, turn away now (and stop reading articles about theories, man.)

It was a lot of fun updating this throughout Season 8 and the plan is to do the same for Season 8. Wondering if any previous guesses came true? The confirmed count is 2 with The Wall Will Fall and Here Be Ice Dragons both coming true, though I missed the mark on figuring out the two would be connected.

Jon or Daenerys or Jaime (or Someone Else) Is The Prince Who Was Promised

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Image via HBO

The Short Version: ""He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire." Thousands of years ago, Azor Ahai was the savior of the Seven Kingdom who ended the Long Night and returned the world to peace. Prophecy says that he will be reborn as The Prince Who Was Promised, and most fans believe the reborn savior is either Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen.

Will It Happen? It is known. This is one of the core prophecies and shared beliefs across the books and the show. Someone is gettin' Azor Ahai'd.

The (Very) Long Version: This is one of the longest-running and most debated theories in the Game of Thrones fandom and one that's deeply tied up in the endgame, so strap in because there's a lot to unpack here.

Who is Azor Ahai? Let’s do a quick(ish) recap. Thousands of years ago, The Great Others (Imagine White Walkers riding giant dead spiders) ravaged the realm until the legendary warrior Azor Ahai laid waste to their forces and saved the world from eternal winter. Legend has it that Azor Ahai became the savior of the Seven Kingdoms and led mankind to vanquish the Great Others by forging a flaming hero’s sword called Lightbringer, and in order to unleash the weapon’s full power, he had to plunge it through the heart of his beloved wife. Prophecy states that another Long Night is coming and with it, Azor Ahai will be reborn to battle the forces of darkness again once again. There’s a lot of debate as to whether that means Azor Ahai himself will be reincarnated, or if it just means a new leader will be born to save the human race, or possibly both, which means that though the term Azor Ahai and Prince Who Was Promised are sometimes used interchangeably, they may actually be two different people.

Before we go any further, you should probably know just what those prophecies about Azor Ahai and the Prince That Was Promised say. Here are the two key pieces of text.This is where last night’s big meet-up between Dany and Melissandre offered a couple game-changing insights to the theory. For one, Missandei corrected Melissandre’s translation — the High Valeryian word in the prophecy is gender neutral, meaning it can be read as the Prince orPrincess that was promised. This was stated by Aemon in the books, and now it's hard confirmed, which means Dany very much in the running and just become the most likely candidate. The other significant moment is when Melissandre says both Daenerys and Jon Snow may factor in. “I believe you have a role to play,” Melisandre says. “As does another: the King in the North, Jon Snow.” This is a huge diversion from the standard reading of the prophecy, and the first time there’s been a clear suggestion that we might not be looking for the classic “chosen one” trope, but a more complicated reading of the prophecies.

The first:

“There will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him.”

The second:

“When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone.”

The legend of Azor Ahai is scattered throughout the books, but in the series, we’ve mostly heard of him through Melissandre, the devout priestess and servant of The Lord of Light who is extremely powerful (shadow assassin, resurrecting the dead, etc) but generally kind of gets a whole lot wrong. Melissandre first believed Stannis was Azor Ahai, hence all the horrific sacrifices (RIP Shireen), but when Stannis was soundly defeated on the battlefield, she turned her attention to Jon Snow. Now, she has fixed her sights on Dany as well.

So who will be Azor Ahai? There are a few contenders, including everyone from Beric Dondarrion (who does have that sweet flaming sword) to Ser Davos Seaworth, and “Dragonstone” lent some credence to the theory that it could actually be The Hound, of all people. But Melissandre’s picks have been the fan favorites for years: Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen. Both are leaders who fulfill the prophecies in very different ways, and as Melissandre said herself prophesies are tricky and easy to misread. First, let’s look at Dany. She fits the second prophecy to a tee. Dany was born on Dragonstone during a storm (“salt and fire”), she was “reborn” in “blood and fire” when she emerged from the pyre unscathed (also “salt and fire”). She literally woke dragons out of stone when she hatched her fossilized eggs, and in order to do so she had to sacrifice her beloved Khal Drago and unborn son. The first prophecy is less of a natural fit, but it can work. The problem is that Dany straight up DGAF about swords, so if you believe Lightbringer to be a literal sword, then she’s out. But again, you take prophecies too literally at your own peril, and if you read the passage from the point of view that Lightbringer could be any great weapon, it certainly could apply to the birth of her dragons. Finally, in the books, the wood witch says that the Prince That Was Promised will be born from the line of Aerys II and Rhaella, a.k.a. Dany’s parents. And it’s not just fans who think Dany is a natural fit, in the books Benerro of Volantis and Aemon both believe she’s the one. So who is Azor Ahai? Is Azor Ahai the Prince That Was Promised? And do these legendary figures tie in with other’s from around the realm (say The Stallion Who Mounts the World, which could also certainly be Dany)? It’s still anyone’s guess at this point, but “Stormborn” offered two key shifts in perspective on the long-debated prophecies, and there’s likely more to come when Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen finally meet.As for Jon, in Season 6 he was literally reborn, and if you look to the text from the book, the description of his death directly conjures the verbiage of the prophecy with smoke from his wounds, salt from Bowen Marsh’s tears, and the bloody body of Ser Patrick — who’s sigil is a red star — dangling above him. Furthermore, if you look to the series for similar textual cues, Bran’s Tower of Joy flashback in the Season 6 finale shows us that Jon Snow was born under a bleeding star when Ned props Arthur Dayne’s bloodied sword Dawn, which is said to be made from a falling star, over his birth bed (something the showrunners made sure to put center frame). There are certainly plenty of tears from his dying mother, though no smoke so far as I can see.  As for the “dragons from stone” bit, that could be a reference to the fact that he was Targaryen raised as a Stark. In the books, Jon has also had dreams of wielding a glowing red sword. And then there’s the Melissandre’s Dance with Dragons line heard ’round the world, “I pray for a glimpse of Azor Ahai, and R’hllor shows me only Snow.” Finally, Jon is the son of Rhaegar, which means he also has the lineage to fulfill the wood witch’s prophecy. And of course, now that they're having a moment of classic Targaryen incest, this could be even more complicated.

What is your favorite Game of Thrones theory and what is the one you hope never comes true? Sound off the comments with your thoughts.

King's Landing Will Be Destroyed

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Image via HBO

The Short Version: From the foreshadowing of the mad king's "burn them all" to the prophecies of Dany and Bran, there are a lot of hints that King's Landing won't make it out of this war alive.

Will It Happen? Very likely. There's lots of foreshadowing and things are about to get downright apocalyptic.

The Long Version: Against the odds, King's Landing has survived it all so far. Despite the Mad King's attempts to "burn them all" with wildfire, despite the Lannisters' scarce troops during the Battle of Blackwater, despite the fact that Dany could have flown in with her dragons and torn it all to pieces, King's Landing is still in the game. But will it survive the great big battles of the final season?

Last we learned, Cersei had conspired to promise troops to Jon and Dany with no intention of delivering, saving her resources to protect her city and her family above all else. That seems to put her in a pretty good position, except there are some things she doesn't know -- foremost among them being the fact that the Night King has a freaking death dragon now. One Reddit user came up with a pretty solid theory about how that could backfire: leaving behind his army of thousands in the North, the Nigh King will ride Viserion to King's Landing and slaughter the population for a new army of millions. Now that is a good theory. Whether or not that's how it plays out, that's just smart thinking.

There's also the matter of visions and prophecies, in particular, Dany and Bran's. In the House of the Undying, Dany sees the roof caved in over the Iron Throne where snow rains down on the remains of the throne room -- and yes, that's confirmed to be snow not ash. But It's understandable people might assume it's ash, because the other major vision comes from Bran, who sees the shadow of a dragon flying over King's Landing. At the time, we assumed that meant Dany and her dragons, but now that the Night King has one of his own.

So, obviously, there are two destructions by dragon scenarios that could be heading to King's Landing. There's also the matter of the wildfire stashed under the city. Oh sure, Cersei used some of the stash when she blew the Sept of Baelor, but according to Jaime's bath-chat with Brienne, the Mad King kept stashes of wildfire all over the city. That means that any could still blow King's Landing at any time, be it an act of heroism, villainy, or something in between.

For my money, I think this is likely to happen. I wouldn't be surprised if someone tried to take out the Night King (or much of his army) and ended up taking out some innocents (and maybe some fan favorites) out with them. There's just been too much tied up in the Aerys' wildfire stash and too many hints at the destruction of King's Landing. Plus, it's a great way to get rid of that Iron Throne once and for all.

 

Tyrion Isn't on the Up and Up

Image via HBO

The Short Version: Tyrion was acting like a little #boatsex creeper because his meeting with Cersei included some wheeling and dealing we weren't privy to. Or maybe he's just in love with Dany like everyone else.

Will It Happen? Probably, somehow, in some way. Tyrion was just acting way too sketchy at the end of last season. And if 'The Dragon and The Wolf' really reminded us of anything, it's that Tyrion is a Lannister at heart.

The Long Version: What's up, Tyrion? Because you acting shady as shit in that Season 7 finale. Don't get me wrong, Jon Snow has generally been a thorn in Tyrion's side since he showed up on Dragonstone and it can't feel great that Dany has often turned to his counsel over Tyrion's, but don't be the creep that listens to people doing it in the room next door. Like they say, if the boat's a rockin', don't come a-knockin', and definitely don't just deadass stand there and listen like a full-tilt creeper.

But that's just what our dearly beloved Tyrion did in 'The Dragon and The Wolf', so the question becomes... why? There are a few feasible answers to this question, because I'm not buying that he's just concerned for the realm and the complications that come with a Mother of Dragons/King in the North romance so I'll get the disappointing one out of the way first.

It's definitely possible that Tyrion is just in love with Dany. She kind of has that effect on people. Jorah, Daario, Drogo, Jon; the Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains, etc, etc, doesn't just inspire loyalty in her people, she often inspires it in the hearts of men who surround her. There were hints of brewing feelings on Tyrion's end this season as well -- he counsels her, "[Daario] wasn't the first to love you, and he won't be the last." Foreshadowing? Sure, but perhaps not just for Jon Snow. When he warns her not to go south with Jon he tells her, "You're the most important person in the world," which is heavy.

There's also some hints that this could be the case from George R.R. Martin's original pitch for Game of Thrones in which an exiled Tyrion made a common alliance with the Starks and fell hopelessly in love with Arya Stark (yikes). But Guess what, Jon Snow was already in love with Arya (double yikes), leading to a deadly rivalry between them. If Dany stepped in for Arya in this love triangle, it would keep the creepy incest stuff with Jon (which Martin clearly lurves), but make things a bit more age appropriate for TV.

However, and I truly hope this is the case, there's a possibility that Tyrion looks so distraught because either he somehow knows about Dany and Jon's lust-smothering lineage or, as one of the most popular theories go, he made some kind of deal with Cersei when the door was closed. The refrain goes something like this: If you think about what we saw, Tyrion expressed great regret for the loss of Cersei's children and his role in their deaths (though Cersei bears more guilt than him a thousand-fold) and the last thing we saw was his realization that Cersei is pregnant. Before that moment, Cersei showed no interest in even feigning an alliance with her enemies, and yet she came around, so what could he have said to make her change her mind? Could it have to do with an heir to the throne? And if an heir were created by Dany and Jon, what would the consequences be?

Jeremy Powdesa, who directed the Season 7 fianle had an interesting perspective on Tyrion's reaction. "I think it's a combination of things," Podeswa told INSIDER.  "Jealousy is too simple, in a way. I think what's really going on here for me is that Tyrion is a strategist. He's somebody who thinks to the future and what the consequences of things are. For him, the union of Dany and Jon is a bit of a monkey wrench in terms of the plan for how they're going to move forward in a united front against the army of the dead."

"A monkey wrench in terms of the plan," eh? How so? Sure, it's going to complicate things, but a pair of boning royals is nothing new, so why would this affect "how they're going to move forward in a united front against the army of the dead"? There's also the not-too-comforting words Peter Dinklage told EW:

“We’re so used to the standard formula of bad guys dying and good guys living…What David and Dan have done with all this is beautiful, painful, and lovely. It takes the show somewhere that’s dangerous and contemporary with what’s going on in the world.”

For now, I'm sticking to the theory that Tyrion will lean into his Lannister roots via secret arrangement, arrogant decision making or accidental betrayal without beomcing a full-tilt villain because it's the one that makes the most sense. Most likely something well-intended that will end up biting him in the ass -- and it could have major fallout for the beloved character considering Dany's taste for violent retribution.

Jaime Will Kill Cersei

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Image via HBO

The Short Version: Jaime's going to kill Cersei because she's a monster because a prophecy forewarns it.

Will It Happen? Very likely, in some form. Whether it's Jamie himself or Arya wearing Jamie's face, Cersei descent into pure villainy has set her up perfectly to die in her nightmare scenario.

The Long Version: It finally happened! It took seasons longer than many of us thought it would, but Jamie finally left Cersei in the dust for her heinous crimes and complete disrespect to his honor.  Book Jaime ended his twisted relationship with Cersei way back in 2005's A Feast for Crows and considering the show has long surpassed the books, plenty of folks were getting frustrated with the kind of character assassination it required to make him stay with his dearly beloved sister after all the countless, horrifying villainy she's displayed. Most of us assumed that the Wildfire would be the breaking point -- after all, Jaime betrayed his oath and became the Kingslayer to prevent exactly what Cersei did in the Season 6 finale.

But Jaime seemed largely unphased by her massacre of innocents (in a church no less), and remained her right-hand man throughout Season 7, enjoying the perks of her Mad Qeendom (like no longer hiding having to hide their twincest) and fighting her wars on the battlefield. But finally, I mean really finally, Jaime had enough when Cersei revealed she was ready to let the realm fall to the army of the dead so long as she got to sit on the Iron Throne. And when he threatened to leave, she threatened him with death. She wasn't able to "pull the trigger" or Unleash The Mountain, so to speak, but it was the first time her threats toward Jaime were completely unveiled. It set a precedent.

Cersei has her throne, but was it worth it, Cersei? Was it? Really? The bitterest and most ruthlessly ambitious of the Lannister clan -- which is really saying something -- Cersei finally secured the Iron Throne and crowned herself queen at the end of Season 6 after setting wildfire loose in the Sept of Baelor. That means she wasn't just dispatching of her enemies, she also murdered countless of her own citizens in the process. And every step of her journey to power has cost Cersei something dear. Most importantly, all three of her children. Now, it's cost her Jaime. But it may still cost her more.

You may have heard of the Valonqar by now, and even if the word hasn't been said on the show, you've seen a bit of the prophecy from which the term springs. As we saw in Season 5, when Cersei was a little girl she paid a visit to a sorceress known as Maggy the Frog, who read her an utterly dire prophecy. Things started off well: Maggy foretold that Cersei would marry the King (yep), and have three beautiful children (yep), then things got dark. Maggy said that though Cersei would be queen (yep) a younger, more beautiful woman would come along to cast her down and take away everything Cersei held dear, which is no doubt part of the reason she always despised Margery.

But it gets much worse. Speaking of Cersei's children, the mage told her, "Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds," meaning they will all die (yep. RIP -- but not you, Joffrey, unless the P stands for pain). We saw all of this transpire on the show, but there was a final bit of the prophecy in the books that the series left out.  "And when your tears have drowned you," Maggy foretold, "the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you."

So WTF is a valonqar? Valonqar is a Valyrian word and it translates to "little brother." Cersei's little brother is going to murder her. She immediately thought of Tyrion, both for his age and for his stature, and Cersei has openly despised him ever since (or despised him even more than she did for the death of their mother during his birth.) However, as the second-born of the Lannister twins, Jaime is also technically her little brother, and narratively speaking, were Jaime to turn on Cersei, his twin sister and beloved life-long partner, it would have a heck of a lot more dramatic weight. And it's also pretty clear that Tyrion has no interest in killing his sister. Their post-Dragon Pit meeting solidified it; they may hate each other, but they don't want to kill each other, not when there are so few Lannisters left. Jaime's feelings on the matter are rather more heated.

He not only walked away from her, he walked away from their unborn child; adding double the weight to his already dramatic decision. I imagine their next reunion will not be a happy one. But Cersei already had and lost the three children the prophecy provided for, which doesn't bode well for the supposed bun in her oven. That leaves a couple of possibilities. Either she's lying, using pregnancy as a means to keep Jaime in her corner now that Tyrion (and his morality) have re-entered their lives. Or, she really is pregnant, but will not carry the child to term -- either because she is killed herself, or due to a miscarriage of sorts. Cersei hasn't dealt with the death of her children, she's buried her grief under hatred and ambition. But that final option, the loss of yet another child, could be just thing to make Cersei drown in her tears. And ultimately, it just seems too poetic to pass up that Jaime and Cersei should leave the world as they entered it -- together -- and that Jaime's final redemptive act would mirror the murder that made him "Kingslayer".

However, there's one more hitch in this classic theory -- there are a lot of folks out there who think that Arya will take Jaime's face and use it to kill Cersei herself. That's pretty interesting and delicious actually, and it would allow for a lot of checked boxes at once: it would fulfill the Valonquar prophecy, let Arya check another name off her list, and allow Jamie to hopefully die in Brienne's arms instead of his sister's. I'm not 100% convinced, but it does sound like the most satisfying option at present.

Bran Will Warg into a Dragon (or the Night King)

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The Short Version: Bran isn't just the new Three-Eyed Raven, he's a super-powerful Skinchanger and he's only learning more by the episode, not to mention the fact that the last Three-Eyed Raven promised him, "You will never walk again, but you will fly." Plus, Bran really has to do something at some point.

Will It Happen? Eh, maybe.  It's definitely possible, though nothing in the series has shown us he has refined his powers that much.

The Long Version: Bran spent all of Season 7 generally being a creep and a drag, and an exposition bomb that went off so rarely you wonder why he was even written that way. But there's one way Bran could make up for his tomfoolery. Both the books and the show have set up the young Stark to become one of the most powerful players in the endgame -- he's pretty much got superpowers; he can skinchange, he can see everything that is and ever was, and he's still alive -- you don't keep someone alive for seven seasons just to let him sit in the snow and glower.

Enter the long-running theory that Bran will eventually skinchange into one of Dany's dragons, and hopefully, lay waste to everyone who's wronged the family while he's at it (I know, that's like, a lot of people). There are a few things to suggest this could be possible. We've already seen Bran warg into Direwolves and poor, dear Hodor (RIP), an impressive feat even if Hodor's mind was simpler than the average human. Then there's what the Three-Eyed Raven told him. "You will never walk again, Bran, but you will fly." Look, this could mean a lot of things. But if it means he can just skinchange into a stupid bird, that is a bullshit payoff for a line that has such an air of grandeur. It could also be a reference to the fact that Bran is now the Three-Eyed Raven. However, there are plenty out there who think that line suggests Bran will find his wings by skinchanging into a dragon.

There's also the matter of that old House of the Undying prophecy -- "The dragon has three heads," a motif that spans Targaryen history. We know one is Daenerys, we know Jon Snow is the second, but if there is a third head to the dragon, we don't yet know who that is. Of course, now that the NIght King has a freshly-wighted Viserion of his own to ride around, it's possible that he's the third head. Or that's never what the prophecy meant -- as Melissandre can tell you, they are slippery things.

This is one of the theories I like the most, but has the least textual evidence, and it's probably so popular because we all want it to come true. For one thing, that's a hell of a clutch move in the middle of a battle -- with an Ice Dragon soaring through the freshly crumbled wall with an army of the undead behind him, it sure would be a game-changer if Bran could turn Viserion against the Night King, even for a moment.

Alternately, there are those who think that Bran will warg into the Night King himself at a crucial moment, allowing Jon to drive home a killing blow. That seems more likely, though again, I'm just not sure there's anything in the show that demonstrates he has that much power -- but then again, we didn't know he had the power to warg into people at all until he did it! Bran may be a baby Three-Eyed Raven, but maybe he's learning quickly. Or maybe Bran will just keep doing nothing. It's what he's best at.

Bran Is All Brans / Bran Is the Night King

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Image via HBO

The Short Version: Bran will warg into the past again and use his powers as the Three-Eyed Raven to either build the wall a la Bran the Builder, or try to stop the Night King by warning into his body, only to become the Night King in the process.

Will It Happen? Again, maybe. Bran's Three-Eyed Raven superpowers are going to be important in the final battles no doubt, but I'd bet they play out in real time rather than by trying to change the past.

The Long Version: These two theories go hand in hand, and it all comes down to Bran's "oops I did a time-warg" in 'Hold the Door'. In case you need a refresher, Bran was just digging deep into his Three-Eyed Raven training when he allowed the Night King to touch him in a vision, granting the creature the power to cross the magical thresholds that had been protecting them. Moments later, the army of the dead showed up at their door while Bran was still deep in his greenseeing practice, observing a scene from the past. He warged into Hodor from the past, Meera screamed "Hold the Door," poor Willas' brain melted, and boom, Hodor was born.

Even since lots of folks think that Bran's the man behind a lot of this chaos and he might use his time travel powers to a few ends. Some think he'll be the whisper that drives the Mad King's descent into raving lunacy (the popular theory being that Bran tries to tell the Targaryen king to burn an army of the undead and melts his bran Hodor style, hence his "burn them all" obsession with torching his citizens.

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Image via HBO

Some think Bran will use his powers to warg back into history and become the many famed Brandon Starks, including Bran the Builder, aka the man who built the Wall and Winterfell, and founder of House Stark. There's also Brandon the Breaker, all the way up to Old Nan's son, who was also named Bran. We mostly heard those tales through Old Nan, and if there's one thing Game of Thrones loves, it's proving Old Nan right. In Game of Thrones, Bran thinks to himself:

"Thousands and thousands of years ago, Brandon the Builder had raised Winterfell, and some said the Wall. Bran knew the story, but it had never been his favorite. Maybe one of the other Brandons had liked that story. Sometimes Nan would talk to him as if he were her Brandon, the baby she had nursed all those years ago, and sometimes she confused him with his uncle Brandon, who was killed by the Mad King before Bran was even born. She had lived so long, Mother had told him once, that all the Brandon Starks had become one person in her head."

Could that be because they were all one person to begin with? Well, HBO certainly stirred up the theorists when they released an image of Bran the Builder in a bonus feature, that showed him being carried around -- aka, something that might happen if, say, you were paralyzed. That doesn't make much sense to me since Bran can walk just fine when he wargs into Hodor and got his wolf on as Summer, but theorists were shook all the same.

The final major Bran-tastic theory centers around the Night King. One of the more popular theories since the revelations of  'Hold the Door' is the idea that Bran will warg back into the body of the human Night King in an attempt to stop him, only to get stuck there and become the evil himself. It's certainly possible, but if there's one person who seems consistently eager to shoot it down, it's actor Isaac Hempstead Wright, who has regularly dismissed the theory in interviews in recent years, calling it "obvious" and "cheesy". Sure he could be doing a diversion, but I think I'm with the actor on this one.

Realistically, what I expect we'll continue to see from Bran is the increased political and strategical influence of his abilities in real-time. What happened to Hodor was a closed-loop time-travel screw up, meaning he probably learned the lesson that interfering with the past won't actually change your present (ie, "The ink is dry,") but with the power to see all that was and is, Bran is an incredible asset for the Starks. They can see every army before it arrives at their doorstep, the can know every lie and scheme they have been ever been told, and if Littlefinger's fate was any indication, they are not afraid to use that advantage toward bloody retribution.

Tyrion the Targaryen

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Image via HBO

The Short Version: "The dragon has three heads:" Dany, Jon, and... Tyrion, who might just  be another bastard Targaryen son.

Will It Happen? Probably not. It's a good theory and it's lasted so long for a reason, but despite the textual evidence, Tyrion's arc is centered around his core Lannister characteristics and it isn't nearly as interesting if he's not really Tywin's son. Plus they just did the secret Targaryen thing with Jon.

The Long Version: Among the most popular Thrones theories, and one that has only been bolstered by the post-book events of the series, the outcast Lannister may actually be a Targaryen. The root of this theory, and indeed, much of the speculation about secret Targaryens, stems back to Dany's visions in the House of the Undying. In the book, her brother Rhaegar Targaryen makes an appearance and tells her "The dragon has three heads." This imagery, the three heads of the dragon, is repeated in motifs throughout the Targaryen narrative.The Targaryen sigil is a three-headed dragon. Daenerys has three dragons. Aegon Targaryen and his sisters conquered Westeros with three dragons. So lots have fans have come to the conclusion that there will need to be three dragon riders before Dany can win back the throne for herself.

That would be Dany, most likely Jon, and possibly Tyrion, who might no be the son of Twyin Lannister, but an illegitimate son of Aerys Targaryen. And of course, there's text to back it up. First, there's the way that Tywin so openly despises Tyrion and has openly alluded to the fact that Tyrion may not be his son. More than the snide comments, his dying words were "You are no son of mine." The counter to that is that he's just an unrepentant dick who never liked his son because he was born different, but let's indulge for a moment.

Tywin always said he hated Tyrion for making a mockery of the Lannister house and for the fact that his mother Joanna -- who Tywin truly loved -- died during childbirth, but there are in-text hints that Tyrion's mother Joanna and the "Mad King" Aerys were intimate. Tywin was Aerys' Hand and married Joanna while in his service. Barristan Selmy tells Dany that Aerys was infatuated with Joanna and took "liberties" at Tywin and Joanna's bedding after joking about "the lord’s right to the first night."

While Tyrion, as the youngest sibling, could not have been conceived on the night of the bedding, the timeline still works according to The World of Ice and Fire, which states that Joanna took the twins to court in 272 AC, and she delivered Tyrion the following year. There's also the fact that Tywin also refused to name Tyrion as an heir to Casterly Rock, despite the fact that neither of his other children were eligible. Oh, and he had Tyrion's first wife raped by their guards while he made his son watch. I mean, what could possibly make someone want to do that to their own kid? Again, it's definitely possible Tywin was just an unrepentant dick. But that's... a lot.

Tyrion also has a notable physical difference from his siblings in both the books and the series (and not the one your thinking). The key feature of the Lannisters is their blonde hair, often described as the gold they hold so dear. Tyrion's hair is noticeably not gold in the series, but in the books, he is described in an even more intriguing way -- with hair so pale it's almost white; a trademark of the Targaryens. Further, like Dany and Jon, Tyrion has long dreamed of dragons, and in the series, when he meets Danny's dragons Rhaegal and Viserion, who should be pretty pissed off from being locked in a cave, he sets them free calmly and walks away without a scratch.

Finally, there are the characteristics that all three characters share (not least of which, the fact that they're all key leads in the books and the show). In addition to the dragon dreams, Dany, Jon and Tyrion were all outcasts in their childhood homes, they are each the third child in their families (threes all over the place), they have all suffered a tragic love story (Drogo, Ygritte, Shea), and each of their mothers died in childbirth. "The dragon has three heads" may not mean we see Jon, Dany, and Tyrion slapping high-fives and riding dragons around King's Lading together, but there is more than enough evidence to suspect that Tyrion might be a secret Targaryen.

I'll be honest, this theory seems a little less and less likely as the episodes wear on. The series took its sweet as time with the Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen reveal, and with only six episodes left, squeezing in another secret Targaryen might be a bit too much. The finale episode also pretty significantly pointed to the bonds between the Lannister siblings despite their differences, and Tyrion's toxic relationship with his father is much more interesting if he truly is his heir and he hated him anyway. But there's still enough textual evidence to keep this one on your radar for now.

Arya Just Added a New Face to Her Bag

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Image via HBO

The Short Version: Arya jacked Littlefinger's face when she killed them and might to use it to make a move on the Lannister forces.

Will It Happen? Arya is definitely gonna do some creepy face shit this season, but odds that it will be Littlefinger's face are pretty low. He's not really anyone's trusted ally anymore, and there's no one left who would be traumatized enough by seeing him. Jaime Lannister, on the other hand....

The Long Version: Ah, Arya, everyone's favorite little murderess. Littlefinger's arc may have been a bit rushed and jumbled in the end (and he may have been sketched as erringly dumb to fast-forward the momentum), but ultimately his story came to its natural conclusion in the Season 7 finale. Outwitted by his own chaos-climbing tutee and executed for his laundry list of crimes, which were finally pulled from the realm of secrets with the help of Bran's Three-Eyed Ravening, Peter Baelish got the just deserts he always had coming, served by the hand of Arya Stark. It was also the natural time for his story to end, as Game of Thrones moves past the shady politicking and family oaths of life in Westeros into the mythical endgame of ice and fire.

The saddest part of saying goodbye to Littlefinger is losing the talents of actor Aiden Gillan, but have we really seen the last of him? Sansa stumbled on to Arya's creepy little bag of faces this year and there are lots of folks out there wondering if Littlefinger won't be the latest addition to the bunch. Baelish was a longtime resident of King's Landing and adviser to the Lannisters, and while his last encounter with Cersei certainly didn't set up any easy alliance between them, it proved that he was still a man from whom she took counsel. Now, that was in Season 5 and a lot has changed since then, including the Vale's alliance and military support of the King in the North, but that doesn't devalue the fact that he would be a welcome sight to many in King's Landing.

Despite the rampant theorizing about Arya sneaking around in the faces of others, the show has been rather reserved on playing this card -- have they been saving it for major moments like the slaughter of the Freys? If so, one last appearance from the Mockingbird would certainly fit the bill. There are also some folks who, understandably, think Littlefinger faked his own death because he was too easily duped, but again, I'm betting the show has passed the intrigue of brothel-owning masterminds into the realm of apocalyptic ice dragons. One thing we do know, is we're almost certainly going to see Arya slipping on some faces this season.

Euron Greyjoy's Gonna Steal Khaleesi's Dragons

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Image via HBO

The Short Version: Euron Greyjoy may possess a horn that will allow him to take control of Khaleesi's dragons, but only if he's immortal.

Will It Happen? Nah. At this point, this definitely isn't happening on the show. Show!Euron doesn't deserve a dragon -- hell, he didn't even deserve the Sand Snakes. But it's one of my favorite pet theories from the books so I'm keeping it!

The Long Version: What is Euron's deal? Why is he even on the show? These are major questions after seeing how the swashbuckling, glam rocking Greyjoy was handled in Season 7. At this point, with six episodes left, do I think he's going to manifest a completely new mythological item and snatch up a dragon? Nah, probably not. But hey, Melissandre's off in Valyria getting some mysterious thing for the Great War, so maybe.

After murdering his brother Balon and surviving the Kingsmoot, Euron sits on the Salt Throne with plenty of Iron Born supporters. Which means he's not just crazy and homicidal, he's cunning, he's king of the Iron Islands, and he's hell bent on conquering the world. And as his decimation of Yara's fleet proved, he walks the warrior walk just as well as he talks the talk. He also might be wildly powerful in ways we don't fully understand yet.

During the previous seasons, we learned that Euron intended to woo Daenerys, marry her, and exploit her dragons and armies to his ends. Yes, Euron has clearly never actually met the Mother of Dragons and her steely resolve. However, even if it was a long shot that Khalessi would have given him her dragons and soldiers, that alliance is now officially out of the question. Euron's niece and nephew, Theon and Yara Greyjoy, teamed with Daenerys, locking him out and sending him Cersei's way. So dragons are pretty much out for this guy, right? Not necessarily.

In the books, 'tis a pirates life for Euron during the years he's cast out of the Iron Islands, traipsing around the globe, digging through relics, and collecting knowledge. That's where he gets interesting and really dangerous. Euron claims that while he was pillaging Essos, he journeyed to Old Valyria where discovered a horn known as Dragonbinder; a six-foot instrument cased in Valyrian steel and inscribed in Valyrian Glyphs, which glow red and white when blown. As you might guess from the name, the horn is said to grant any man who blows it control over any dragon that hears it call. And we don't just have to take Euron's word for it. In A Dance with Dragons, Martin tells us, "The dragonlords of old Valyria had controlled their mounts with binding spells and sorcerous horns. Daenerys made do with a word and a whip."

So is our dear Dany just completely screwed out of her dragons? Not necessarily, because there's a catch. Whoever sounds Dragonbinder, dies. In the books, that's Euron's lackey Cragorn, who collapses with blisters on his lips and dies with soot in his lungs after blowing the horn, which is said to sound like a thousand crying souls. So.... have fun with that, Sound Department. Turns out those glyphs on the side translate to "I am Dragonbinder ... No mortal man should sound me and live ... Blood for fire, fire for blood." So you can't blow the horn without dying. If you're a mortal man, that is. In the books, Euron claims he kidnapped and tortured warlocks from Qarth until they gave him secrets of the dark arts, which means he may actually possess the power to use Dragonbinder unharmed and steal some dragons.

Now, considering the Night King has a blue-fire breathing wight-dragon of his own, it's possible that Euron might actually use his horn to do some good, but then again...nah. This is Euron, he's going to be up to no good until someone takes him out. And considering the time we have left on the show, I'm betting that's going to happen before we see hide or hair of any magical horns (and that includes the Horn of Winter). Sorry, Euron. You may be heir to the Salt Throne and king of Guyliner, but I don't think the series has time to give you any dragons, no matter what Martin may have planned in the books.